Tank-operating device for water-closets



(No Model.)

P. HARVEY.

TANK OPERATING DEVICE EOE. WATER GLosETs.

No. 354,701. l Patented Deo. 21, 1886.

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PATRIGKYHARVEY, OF MILWAUKEE, VISCONSIN.

TANK-OPERATING DEVICE FOR WATER-CLOSETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,701, dated December21, 1886.

Application filed May 2l, 1886. Serial No. 202,849. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, PATRICK HARVEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, in the State of Wisconsin, have' invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Tank-Operatin g Devices forWater-Closets, which are fully set forth in the following specication,reference being had to-the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof, wherein- Figure l is a sectional front elevation of a tankservice-box and valve-operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthrough m x, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar vertical section showing amodification of the means of adjusting theloatin theservice-boX. Fig. 4is 'a detail of the means of such adjustment shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The purpose of this invention is to provide improved means for admittingand controlling the flow of water from a tank to the watercloset withwhich it is connected, to the end that the user may operate themechanism to admit the water by an instantaneously cornpleted movementand without the necessity of holding the valve'or gate open in order tocontinue the flow of flushing-water, and that the mechanism shall bereversed and cause the iiow to cease after a predetermined interval oramount of flow, and that when the valve hasA once been opened it shallremain open until the predetermined flow has actually occured, eventhough at the time there was no water in the tank and no iiow occurredor could occur until water was subsequently supplied. rIhe desirabilityof such action is most obvious in cases where the tank is located in theupper partof abuilding which is supplied at low pressure, so that attimes the use of water on the lower floors leaves nothing to supply thetanks, which nevertheless will eventually receive the supply atintervals when the use on the lower floors isintermitted. In such caseat the time the closet is used the tank may be empty and incapable ofaffording the ilushing water to the bowl, and it is desirable that theuser may be able to leave the mechanism in such condition that, withoutsubsequent attention, whenever water comes to the tank the closet shallbe properly flushed, and after proper flushing the water cut offautomatically.

Similar letters indicate similar part-s in all the figures. A

A is the tank. B is the service-box. C is the pipe leading to thecloset-bowl. f

The tank is supplied in the usual manner through the pipe D, controlledby the valve E, operated by the float F in the usual familiar manner.The partition a between the tank and the Servicebox being lower than thewalls of the said chamber allows for overflow at b. The service-box vissupplied from the tank through the large aperture A', and the serviceboxcommunication with the closet through the aperture B', leading into thepipe O, said aperture being much smaller than A. Bothr apertures A' andB are controlled by valves G and G2 on the hollow stem G, the valve G',seating below the aperture A', and the valve G2 seating above theaperture B', the former, therefore, moving upward and the latter movingdownward t0 seat. fore, which opens one valve closes the other,

so that never are both closed at once, though both may be open at once.Toward the `upper end of the hollow stem G it has the aperture g, bywhich the water may overflow from the tank A directly through the stem Ginto the pipe C, and then to the closet-bowl, independently of thevalves G and G2. The valvestem G is connected at the upper end to thelever H, which is pivoted on the tank A, and has at one end the weightH', and is connected at the other end to the pull-cord H2.

K is a bell-crank lever located in the serv- The movement,there ice-boxand pivoted directly below the lever p H. Its vertical arm K' terminatesin the catch-nose K1, vand the other arm, K2, is connected to the floatK.

The operation of this device is as follows: When not in operation thevalve G' is closed and the valve G2 is open, and the service-box B istherefore empty. When it is desired to put it into operation to flushthe closet, the user will pull the cord LIZ-allowing the valvestem G todescend, opening the valve G' and closing the valve G2 and bringing thelever H against the inclined upper surface of the catchnose Kw, andthereby swinging the bell-crank lever K, lifting the arm K2 and thefloat K2",

and finally catching under the catch-nose and i the float lifted somedistance olf the bottom of the service-box B. The water new flowingthrough the aperture A into the service-box B fills it up, until,bylifting the float to the position shown in Fig. 4, it rocks thebell-crank lever K back and releases the lever H from the catch-noseK1", and the weight H causes the lever H, rocking over its pivot, tolift the valves G and G2 until the aperture B is opened and the apertureA is closed, stopping the flow of water from the tank into theservice-box and permitting the water which has accumulated in the latterto flow out through the pipe G to the closet-bowl.

Obviously the amount of water which will accumulate in the service-boxbefore the lever H is released from the catch-nose K will depend uponthe connection of the float K to the lever H, and for the purpose ofadapting the quantity of water used to the necessities of the case thefloat is made adjustable in relation to the lever. Thismay be done in agreat variety of ways. The 'simplest means is is shown in Fig. '2, thefloat being connected to the lever by a chain, K, which may be shortenedor lengthened tofix the depth of water which shall accumulate before thefloat will exert a pulling force on the lever-arm K to disengage thecatch-nose K10 from the lever` H. Another method is shown in Fig.4 3,the float merely being adjustable on the arm K2 toward and from thepivot of the lever, the pivot being so placed that the arm H? is hori:zontal when the float rests on the bottom of the service-box, so thatthe said adjustment does not affect the position of the lever when theservice-box is empty; but the farther the fioat is from the pivot thefarther must it be raised by the water, in order to rock the leverthrough the angle necessary to disengage the nose. I do not confinemyself to anyone method or means of effecting this adjustment.

The overflow-aperture g is located at such height that when thevalve-stem G is raised and the valve G closed it stands above thewater-level (as determined by the adjustment ofthe float) and is belowthat level when the valve-stem G is dropped to open the valve G. It isthus made the means of furnishing the fore-wash for the closet, thewater passing through the hollow stem G directly into the flushing-pipeGand thence to the bowl, and continuing to-flow until the level of waterin the tank has fallen below said aperture.

In connection with some forms of closets the valve G2 is not needed, andits presence is never essential to the operation of my device, because,the aperture A being so much larger than the aperture B, the service-boxwill fill, even though no valve is used to close the latter aperture.

If there is no water in the tank when the valve is opened by the user ofthe closet, the valve will remain open until the tank receives water andthe same ows into the service-box, and the devices will then operate asdescribed, furnishing the predetermined quantity of water to flush thebowl, the flow ceasing at such predetermined limit.

I claim- 1. In combination with the tank and service-box and the valvewhich controls communication between them, the lever which operatessaid. valve, and a second lever having a catch-nose, whereby it isoperated by and engages the first lever, and a float in the service-boxconnected to and operating the second lever to disengage its catch-nosefrom the first lever, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the tank and service-box and the valve whichcontrols and communicates between them, the lever which operates saidvalve, and a second lever having a catch-nose, whereby it is operated byand disengages the first lever, and a float in thewservice-boxadjustably connected to and operating the second lever to disengage itscatch-nose from the first lever, substantially as set forth. 4

3. In combination, the tank and servicebox, the valve between them,andthe lever which operates it,thebellcrank lever K, having the catch-noseK1o on the upwardly-extended arm, and the float K", connected to theother arm, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the tank and service-box, the valve betweenthem,and the lever which operates it, the bell-crank lever K, having thecatch-nose K on the upwardly-extended arm, and the float K2", connectedto the other arm by the chain K, adapted to be lengthened and shortenedat will, substantially as set forth. l V

5. In combination with the tank and service-box and the flushing-pipe,the valve-stem G, having rigid with it thevalves G and G,

the lever which operates said stem to open the former and close thelatter valve simultaneously, and a second lever having a catchnose,whereby it is Voperated by and engages the first lever, and a float inthe service-box connected to and operating the second lever to disengageits catch-nose from the first 'lever, substantially as set forth.

- 6. In combination with the tank,servieebox,

'and flushing-pipe, the tubular valve-stem having its longitudinal ductcommunicating at the upper end with the tank and at the lower end withthe flushing-pipe, and carrying the valve G2 above the said lowercommunication, seating downward to close communi cation between theservice-box and the flushing-pipes, Whereby the said downward movementwhich seats 'the valve G2 seats the tubular stem through IIO IIS

service-box aud seating upward, and the 1at hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, at Ghiter between the service-box and flushing-pipe,

and located above the said communication of the tubular stem with theflushing-pipe and 5 seating downward7 substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my cago, Illinois, this 12thday of May, 1886.

PATRICK HARVEY.

Attest:

W. J. HARVEY, CHAs. S. BURTON.

